That means it provided access to about one third of the accessions estimated to be held worldwide. However, its coverage will continue to increase over time. All genebanks are welcome to provide data to GENESYS.

The Data in GENESYS

At the launch, in addition to passport data, GENESYS provided access to over 11 million records of characterisation and evaluation data. GENESYS also provides access to millions of records of environmental information associated with accession collecting sites. Its unlimited data capacity allows it to incorporate relevant data from data providers worldwide. Researchers, breeders or indeed farmers seeking specific genetic variation can use GENESYS to select, for example, Triticum aestivum accessions with brown kernels collected in Turkey where the annual precipitation is between 150 and 350 mm. They can quickly do so with only about six keystrokes and 12 clicks of the mouse. The accessions meeting the query can then be requested directly from the holding genebank(s). To become a GENESYS data provider, please indicate your interest in doing so and request a copy of the GENESYS Data Sharing Agreement (DSA) from the Genesys helpdesk. The GENESYS team will help you load legacy data and provide the utilities for future additions and updates.

The Future

Development of the GENESYS portal is ongoing. Future goals include adding information from many more data providers, enhancing functionality with pedigree management, and expanding the environmental data available all things that our stakeholders have already identified. The user of the information in GENESYS is the most crucial contributor to the future development of the system. Please use the Comments and Feedback link at the bottom of the main window (or click this link to guide the future development of the portal.